The Edmonton Oilers have yet to fire Kris Knoblauch but are already planning ahead into the future of Connor McDavid‘s next head coach. Despite running into the Vegas Golden Knights‘ blockade in their pursuit of Bruce Cassidy, the Oilers may already be the head coach’s preferred destination in the NHL.
As Elliotte Friedman noted during an appearance on Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show, Cassidy is open to interviewing with any team that requests permission to speak with him. However, he would rank teams differently, with Edmonton—viewed as the suitor closest to winning—expected to lead the race for his services.
Still, until the Golden Knights grant the Oilers and the rest of the NHL permission to speak with him, the 60-year-old head coach will remain, so to speak, quarantined under Sin City’s wraps. Thus, reports all but confirm Edmonton are the favorites to hire Cassidy—though it has yet to fire Kris Knoblauch. Until Vegas says so, though, the Oilers can’t do much. Well, actually they can. And they should.
Oilers must formally fire Knoblauch
Word getting out that Edmonton sought permission to speak with Cassidy has put the organization in the Gateway to the North on the spot. The Oilers are left with virtually no choice but to have a face-to-face conversation with Knoblauch and part ways with him.
Bruce Cassidy was relieved of his duties by the Vegas Golden Knights.
After all, they owe him at least that much, considering the head coach learned the front office went behind his back in its quest to find his replacement. Keep in mind the Oilers signed Knoblauch to a three-year extension beginning with the 2026-27 NHL season and running through 2028-29.
Edmonton may try to act as if nothing happened and stick with its current head coach, but that seems unlikely. If that occurs, though, there’s a slim chance Knoblauch works past his differences with the team in Oil Country. After all, money talks, and the 47-year-old is up for a big contract. The upcoming three-year deal would skyrocket Knoblauch’s net worth.
Oilers face more drama
All things considered, the Oilers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Even if reports suggest Cassidy would favor them over other potential suitors such as the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton could still find itself in trouble. What happens if the organization moves on from Knoblauch but fails to land Cassidy?
It would certainly make for yet another dramatic offseason in Alberta, and it could prove to be the last straw for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Both stars expressed frustration following the team’s first-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Such chaos would be far from the response they expected after publicly stating the Oilers had taken a step backward last season.
The writing is on the wall for Knoblauch. His time in Edmonton appears to be running out. Whether Stan Bowman and company care to admit they were caught red-handed is a different question altogether. Edmonton should have learned its lesson by now: nothing is messier than an oil spill.
